1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer, such as a thermal printer or electrosensitive printer, for hard-copying an image output from a television set or video tape recorder, or an image output from a personal computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional thermal printers, a top lid of a casing is arranged so that it can be opened for setting or checking the quantity of a roll of heat-sensitive recording paper used as the printing medium. When the quantity of heat-sensitive recording paper remaining on the roll becomes small, the top lid is opened, the roll of heat-sensitive recording paper is taken out, and a new roll of heat-sensitive recording paper is set therein. Checking or maintenance of the printing zone or the like is also performed with the top lid open.
In a printer having a structure in which a top lid is opened and closed in the above-mentioned manner, articles must not be placed on the printer and the space on and immediately above the printer should be always empty and vacant. Thus, this type of printer is not preferable from the viewpoint of the effective utilization of space. Furthermore, the printer cannot be inserted into a unit such as a rack having a narrow horizontal space. When a structure is adopted in which the heat-sensitive recording paper is set in the printer from above, an operation panel or the like is usually arranged on the upper side of a casing, and in this case, the printer must be placed at a low position, for example, on a desk, so that the operation panel can be easily seen. Namely, the location of the printer is limited.
Also, in a conventional printer, the printing paper approaches the platen from the lower rear portion and is in sliding contact with the front face of the platen where printing is effected. Then, the printing paper is delivered upward and taken out from the upper portion of the printer. Because of this structure, other devices cannot be positioned at the upper portion or placed on top of the printer, and there again arises the problem of the proper utilization of space.
In another conventional technique, a printer is provided with a door arranged on the front face of the printer, through which the printing paper is set. In this printer having a front facing door, to facilitate the operation of setting the printing paper, the printing paper is arranged on the front side and the platen is arranged vertically to the printing paper. Accordingly, the thickness of the printer is increased and a large usage space is required in the vertical direction.
Moreover, in the conventional printer, when a roll of continuous printing paper is attached, since the space between the platen and the printing head is narrow, the operation of setting the roll of continuous printing paper at a predetermined position while passing it between the platen and the printing head is very difficult.